Bullheads

[fish_4_all]

Around here, locally anyway, the only real catfish are brown and yellow bullheads. I like the taste of them on occasion so I fish for them when I can. I know there are some really big ones, 3-5#'ers and then some but I can never catch anything over about 1/2#.

So what is the go to bait for catching the big ones?

[bc1448]

What are you using for bait? Around my area not many people fish for them but I have luck catching them on shiners.
Blake

[fish_4_all]

Worms, shrimp, catfood, crawdads, dough baits, liver, cheese, cut up trout, corn and a couple other things I don't remember. I saw 2 huge ones tearing into a dead trout one summer and thought it might work. They ignored it and continued tearing at the carcass. I can use shiners but have to be dead here. No live fish for bait. Maybe I need to use the guts of a trout for bait.

Only thing that has ever worked is nightcrawlers.

[bc1448]

I have had good luck on small dead shad or alewife but the only problem is that they get soft quick and can cause you to miss fish... but the benefits of using them out weighs the disadvantages.
Blake

[bc1448]

Where do you fish for them at?
Blake

[panfish_angler_17]

I've caught plenty of bullheads on nightcrawlers. They are usually small, about a foot long or so. I toss 'em back in the water. I prefer catching channel catfish.

[fish_4_all]

I fish for them in a dozen local lakes. I never have much trouble catching them just can't catch anything big. Largest one I have ever caught was maybe 8" at best.

[Fatman]

Fish

When I first moved to Vermont one of the State ponds right up the road has bullhead in it. Well the ice was still covering most of the pond but my son and I got to cast out about 30 ft.

Well the two old Vermont guys that were there were not pleased when my son I started getting 14 to 16 inch bullheads. We were using neghtcrawlers but we were dipping them in Sonny's Super Sticky Channel Catfish dip bait!!!!

They actuallly called the game warden complaining we were fishing illegally. That early the bullheads flesh is really firm and doesn't have a muddy taste.

Be sure you have a strong nose if you're gonna use it it works really good to clear up a stuffy nose just take a few good wiffs and you're all cleared out.

Have also tried the Berkley catfish nuggets but didn't do as good as I did with the dip bait.

Fatman

[bc1448]

There are several differrent types of bullheads... There is a local lake near my house that has bullheads in it and I have caught them as big as 3lb 6oz. It may not be that you can't catch any big ones it may just be that the type of bullhead that you are catchin' just doesn't get any bigger than 8-10". Have you checked with your local fish and wildlife authorities to see what type they are?
Blake

[fish_4_all]

Oh no, they get really big in the same lakes. Have seen stringers of them then up to 5#'s from the same lakes and I have seen them tearing up a trout carcass that was 14 inches long and they dwarfed it. I know they are yellow and brown bullheads. State record yellow is 1.63# and the brown record is 11.04# so they get big here.

I guess I am just gonna have to go out after dark and use some stinky bait for them and maybe I will get a monster one instead of these dinks I get all the time. Maybe the worms I have started composting with will make a difference. They should have a much stronger scent to them.